TY - JOUR
T1 - Intranasal oxytocin administration but not peripheral oxytocin regulates behaviors of attachment insecurity
T2 - A meta-analysis
AU - Zhang, Kejin
AU - Fan, Yuhe
AU - Yu, Rongjun
AU - Tian, Yajie
AU - Liu, Jinting
AU - Gong, Pingyuan
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Ministry of Education of Humanities and Social Science Foundation of China ( 19YJAZH021 ) and the National Social Science Fund of China ( 20BSH165 ) to Pingyuan Gong.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - In light of the roles of oxytocin (OT) in social bonding and interpersonal relationship, studies have examined the roles of OT in human attachment, but by and large previous findings are inconsistent. Here, we conducted - meta-analyses to estimate the associations between peripheral OT level (e.g., blood and salivary OT) and attachment (i.e., attachment dimensions and behaviors of attachment insecurity) and examine the effects of intranasal OT administration on behaviors of attachment insecurity. The analyses indicated that: (1) Peripheral OT level was not significantly associated with attachment dimensions (e.g., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and behaviors of attachment insecurity; (2) intranasal OT administration significantly reduced behaviors of attachment insecurity of neutral contexts, particularly behaviors of attachment avoidance. The findings suggest that intranasal OT administration is an available approach for reducing behaviors of attachment insecurity of interpersonal situations with ambiguous social cues, which implicates suggestions for therapeutic treatments of attachment-related dysfunctions.
AB - In light of the roles of oxytocin (OT) in social bonding and interpersonal relationship, studies have examined the roles of OT in human attachment, but by and large previous findings are inconsistent. Here, we conducted - meta-analyses to estimate the associations between peripheral OT level (e.g., blood and salivary OT) and attachment (i.e., attachment dimensions and behaviors of attachment insecurity) and examine the effects of intranasal OT administration on behaviors of attachment insecurity. The analyses indicated that: (1) Peripheral OT level was not significantly associated with attachment dimensions (e.g., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and behaviors of attachment insecurity; (2) intranasal OT administration significantly reduced behaviors of attachment insecurity of neutral contexts, particularly behaviors of attachment avoidance. The findings suggest that intranasal OT administration is an available approach for reducing behaviors of attachment insecurity of interpersonal situations with ambiguous social cues, which implicates suggestions for therapeutic treatments of attachment-related dysfunctions.
KW - Attachment behavior
KW - Attachment dimension
KW - Attachment insecurity
KW - Intranasal oxytocin administration
KW - Peripheral oxytocin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111474042&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105369
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105369
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34340132
AN - SCOPUS:85111474042
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 132
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
M1 - 105369
ER -
